Methamba (Sour Spicy Sweet Raw Mango Relish of Maharashtra)

Methamba is a sweet, sour and spicy relish or pickle from Maharashtra. It is made with Raw mangoes and has a distinct flavour and taste of Methi seeds or Fenugreek seeds.

Methamba is a sweet, sour
and spicy relish or pickle from Maharashtra. It is made with Raw mangoes and
has a distinct flavour and taste of Methi seeds or Fenugreek seeds.

Earlier this month, I started with my yearly task of pickle making and after the Avakkai, Manga Kari, Mango Thokku was done, it was time to make a small batch of Methamba, which is my personal favourite.

If you are fan of sweet pickles like me, then this recipe is right up your alley. The best part is the use of jaggery for the pickle. I cannot tell you how many spoons I have licked while preparing this pickle and I had to be extremely patient in order to save some for photographing and documenting for the blog.

Phew! Patience for pickles is certainly not my virtue.

Thick, Red and Absolutely delicious Methamba ready to be devoured with Methi Theplas

Methamba is made with less oil as compared with the traditional pickles. It is also not usually made and stored for an entire year. Families make it while raw mangoes are in season and enjoy it for say, couple more months later. The pickle stays good in a refrigerator for couple of months with basic care.

Methamba is also enjoyed best with Dal Khichdi

This relish or pickle is again an instant pickle variety. Can be eaten the very same day with Parathas, rotis, Thepla or even a bowl of Varan Bhaat (dal rice in Marathi).

The consistency of the pickle also varies across homes. Some like it runny with extra jaggery while others prefer it thick like relish, similar to what I have made which goes well as a spread on rotis and parathas or even dosas.

This post was created in the year 2017 and I have updated the recipe with clear step by step instructions. I made the 2017 documented Methamba with handpicked Mangoes from Dapoli during our visit with friends. Needless to say, the organic mangoes were absolutely delicious. You can read about it here.

I made the 2017 documented Methamba with handpicked Mangoes from Dapoli during our visit with friends. Needless to say, the organic mangoes were absolutely delicious. You can read about it here.

Let us look at the easy
recipe of the Methamba and make a batch until Raw Mangoes last! Hurry!

Recipe for Methamba

Ingredients

2 cups Raw Mango (chopped into cubes)

¼ cup Oil

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1 tblsp Methi seeds or Fenugreek seeds

A big pinch of Hing or Asafoetida

1 ½ tbslp of Red chilli powder

½ tsp of Turmeric powder

1 cup of grated jaggery

Salt to taste

Method

Heat a kadhai or pan, add
Oil and once the oil heats up, add mustard seeds.

Once mustard crackles, add hing followed by fenugreek seeds.

Allow the methi to roast slightly and lend its aroma to the oil before adding the chopped pieces of raw mango.

Saute well, reduce the
gas flame, cover with a lid on top and allow the raw mango to cook and turn
soft.

After few minutes, add some turmeric powder, red chilli powder and mix well.

Cover and cook again until all the spices have mixed well.

Check and add salt to
taste.

Now the raw mangoes would have softend up so it is time to add jaggery.

Once you add the jaggery, keep stirring lightly so that it doesn’t burn at the bottom.

You will achieve jam like consistency within few minutes and then it is time to switch off the flame.

Allow the relish to cool
completely before transferring to a clean and dry glass jar.

Recipe Notes

By all means, reduce the quantity of methi seeds according to your taste and preferences.

The pickle stays good in a refrigerator for couple of months. Ensure there is some oil on top and it doesn’t completely dry out.

Always ensure the flame is low and you are keeping an eye, sauteeing the mangoes while cooking with a lid on top. Do not let the mangoes burn from the bottom. If you feel they have dried out, sprinkle a tsp of water.

If you try
this at home, please give me a shout out / Tag Me on any of my social media
handles.

Instructions

Heat a kadhai or pan, add Oil and once the oil heats up, add mustard seeds.

Once mustard crackles, add hing followed by fenugreek seeds.

Allow the methi to roast slightly and lend its aroma to the oil before adding the chopped pieces of raw mango.

Saute well, reduce the gas flame, cover with a lid on top and allow the raw mango tocook and turn soft

After few minutes, add some turmeric powder, red chilli powder and mix well.

Cover and cook again until all the spices have mixed well. Check and add salt totaste.

Now the raw mangoes would have softened up so it is time to add jaggery

Once you add the jaggery, keep stirring lightly so that it doesn’t burn at the bottom.

You will achieve jam like consistency within few minutes and then it is time to switch off the flame.

Allow the relish to cool completely before transferring to a clean and dry glass jar

Notes

By all means, reduce the quantity of methi seeds according to your taste and preferences.

The pickle stays good in a refrigerator for couple of months. Ensure there is some oil on top and it doesn’t completely dry out.

Always ensure the flame is low and you are keeping an eye, sauteeing the mangoes while cooking with a lid on top. Do not let the mangoes burn from the bottom. If you feel they have dried out, sprinkle a tsp of water.

This Post Has 4 Comments

This looks so delish Vidya!! I love such sweet and tangy and spicy pickles.. this is so much similar to our Aam aur Sirke ki Chutney ..picking or making chutneys is one of the best way to gain the benefits of seasonal fruits for a long time in year..

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Born in a Traditional Palakkad Iyer (South Indian) Family with strong value systems to an exceptionally strong and independent Single Mom, spent most of my childhood studying well (as most Iyer girls do). A Commerce Graduate and MBA in Human Resources,